The Norbertine Community

Rev. Joseph A. McLaughlin, O. Praem., passed away peacefully on January 4, 2026. Born in Philadelphia, he was 82 years old and had lived as a Norbertine for 63 years.

A graduate of Bishop Neumann High School in 1961, Father McLaughlin entered the Norbertine Community at Daylesford Abbey in 1962, responding to a lifelong call to prayer, learning, and service. He was vested in the white habit of St. Norbert on August 28, 1962, and ordained to the priesthood at Daylesford Abbey on May 16, 1970.

Father McLaughlin earned a Master’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1972 and a Master’s degree in Religious Studies from Villanova University in 1973. His academic preparation supported a ministry that would span more than five decades in Catholic education and pastoral leadership.

He spent the majority of his priesthood teaching high school students—first at Bishop Neumann High School and then at Archmere Academy—where he taught English, theology, and speech, and moderated the Speech and Debate Club. In 1983, he was appointed Headmaster of Archmere Academy, a position he held until 1997, and again from 2006 to 2010. Over more than 55 years at Archmere, he also served as Director of Mission and Heritage and chaplain.

In his later years as chaplain, Father McLaughlin was the spiritual anchor of the Archmere community. He celebrated daily Mass, guided student retreats, and offered

pastoral care always with warmth, humility, and gentle humor. Students knew he was always available—ready to listen, to pray, or simply to be present. His ministry reflected a deep conviction that faith is lived through kindness, consistency, and care for others.

His presence shaped generations of students, faculty, and alumni. He celebrated marriages for former students, baptized their children, presided at family funerals, led alumni liturgies, and participated faithfully in school and community gatherings. He remained steadfastly available to former students and their families whenever there was a need, offering counsel, comfort, and prayer with quiet generosity.

Beyond Archmere, Father McLaughlin continued to serve the wider Church. At the time of his passing, he was chaplain at Villa Maria House of Studies, Archmere Academy, and St. Aloysius Academy. He also played an integral role in the life of the Daylesford Abbey Community, serving as Master of Novices and Professed from 1973 to 1983. A gifted musician, he led the community in prayer through his organ accompaniment for daily Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Mass.

Father McLaughlin’s early education was spent as a resident student at St. Aloysius Academy, where he developed a deep affection for the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That bond endured throughout his priesthood, and he served as chaplain at their Motherhouse for many decades.

Though a man of small stature, Father McLaughlin possessed remarkable energy and commitment. He lived a disciplined spiritual life, rising well before dawn each day to begin private prayer before communal devotions.

Rooted deeply in the Norbertine charism of communio—a life shared in prayer, service, and mutual responsibility—Father McLaughlin understood vocation as a call to relationship. Through his daily presence, faithful teaching, and gentle care, Joe built communion among students, alumni, families, and fellow Norbertines. The community he fostered endures as his lasting legacy.

In the final hours of his life, Father McLaughlin asked to be taken off all life-support measures, saying simply, “I want to go to Heaven.”

He will be missed and remembered by his Norbertine brothers, his family, the Archmere community, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.

Funeral Arrangements
Daylesford Abbey
220 S. Valley Road
Paoli, PA 19301

Monday, January 12
4:30 p.m. – Reception of the Body and Vespers
5:00–8:00 p.m. – Visitation

Tuesday, January 13
8:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer
9:00–11:00 a.m. – Visitation
11:00 a.m. – Mass of Christian Burial, followed by interment in the Abbey Cemetery

Memorial Donations In memory of Father McLaughlin may be made to: Daylesford Abbey Development Office 220 S. Valley Road Paoli, PA 19301
Or
Rev. Joseph McLaughlin, O.Praem. Memorial Scholarship Fund Archmere Academy 3600 Philadelphia Pike Claymont, DE 19703

Rev. Nicholas R. Terico died suddenly at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, Pa. on September 13. Born in Philadelphia, PA, he was 79 years old and a Norbertine for 43 years.

Father Nick joined the Norbertine Community and was vested in the white habit of St. Norbert on August 28, 1982. He continued his studies earning a M.Div., an M.A. in French from Villanova University, and began studies for an STL degree. He was ordained to the priesthood at Daylesford Abbey on May 27, 1989.

Father Nick was active in several ministries; high school teaching including St. John Neumann High School in Philadelphia, conducting retreats, and offering Spiritual Direction in the Abbey’s Spirituality Center. His noted contribution to the Abbey Community was his brilliant preaching, superb ability as a cantor, and leading the congregation in praise of God in the liturgy.

He had a great love for the French language which he learned while living in France and acquired a certificate from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1970 before his entrance into the Norbertine Community.

He will be remembered for his gentle priestly ministry and love for the Lord in accepting his cross of physical suffering for many years.

Fr. Nick is survived by the Norbertine Community and his sisters, Patricia, Francine, Tina, and Rosanne and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rose and Paschal Terico.

All are invited to Father Nick’s funeral services at Daylesford Abbey on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Reception of the body and Morning Prayer will be at 8 a.m. followed by Visitation. A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m.

Interment in the Abbey cemetery will be on Wednesday, September 24 at 11:30 a.m.

Memorial Donations may be made in his name to: Daylesford Abbey-Development Office, 220 S. Valley Rd, Paoli, Pa. 19301.

Andrew Dominic Ciferni, O. Praem. was born in Philadelphia, PA on February 3, 1942, the oldest of four sons of Amelia and Amedeo Ciferni. He was named Dominic at Baptism, the name of his paternal grandfather. Father Andrew attended Saint Edmond’s Elementary School, staffed by the IHM Sisters. Andrew served Mass at Saint Edmond’s Parish and loved both the liturgy of the church and his family’s roots and rituals from the Abruzzi region of Italy.

Father Andrew attended Bishop Neumann High School in South Philadelphia where he came to know the Norbertines who staffed the school. One week after his graduation from high school in 1959 he attended the dedication of the new Saint Norbert Abbey in DePere, Wisconsin. He received the white Norbertine habit at Daylesford Priory on August 28, 1959. From 1961 to 1965 he lived at St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere and studied at St. Norbert College, graduating in 1965.

In the Fall of 1965 Father Andrew went to Rome to study theology at the Gregorian University, during the final session of Vatican II. During his years in Rome he travelled to many Norbertine abbeys, deeply devoted to the history and charism of the Order, first learned at Daylesford from his novice master, Father Julian Resch, O. Praem. Father Andrew was ordained at Daylesford in 1968 and returned to Rome for one year, obtaining his S.T.L degree from the Gregorianum; he returned to Daylesford for one year where he taught liturgy and theology while serving as Daylesford’s Director of Liturgy.

In September 1970 Father Andrew began doctoral studies in liturgy at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, while serving as Rector of Holy Cross Dorm there. Father Andrew’s Notre Dame years were joy-filled and life-changing. He returned to Daylesford in 1974 and was appointed Director of Liturgy. He was also very involved with the Body of Christ Community and taught in Insearch, a program of studies for local men and women in religious formation in their respective communities. At Daylesford he served as Master of Novices. In 1987 he moved to Washington, DC as formation director of Daylesford seminarians. From 1987 to 1991 he taught homiletics and liturgy at The Catholic University, and from 1991 to 1997 was professor and then dean, at Washington Theological Union.

Father Andrew returned to Daylesford in 1997 as Director of Liturgy and Rector of the abbey church. That year he wrote the Vision Statement for Daylesford Abbey. He served on the Liturgical Commission of the Order and then was appointed the chair of the International Commission on Oder Spirituality.  He travelled to Norbertine Houses in Europe and India. In the abbey he was Director of Theology students, Director of the Associates, and Prior of the Abbey.

As a member of Archmere’s Board of Trustees, Father Andrew composed in 2005 the Archmere Prayer, prayed daily to this day at the school.

In 2013 Father Andrew became the Director of the Center for Norbertine Studies at Saint Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin. He served again as a Trustee of the college, finally serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the college from 2019 to 2022. Father Andrew returned to Daylesford in 2018, but continued to chair the Trustees of the college. He again served on Archmere’s Board of Trustees. At Daylesford he served as canonry liturgist, director of formation, master of professed, vocation director, and part of the programming team of the Abbey’s Spirituality Center. In 2020 Father Andrew composed the text for the hymn “Novem Saeculi,” commemorating the 900th Anniversary of the founding of the Norbertine Order.

 In 2014, Fr. Andrew authored the text for “Sound the Bells of Holy Freedom,” which was chosen as the official hymn for the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, presided over by Pope Francis.  This was just one more example of how Andrew’s passion for all things liturgical was fueled by what would be the primary focus of his ministry as a Norbertine: to bring the masses to prayer in joyful, intentional words and music.

Though his accomplishments in his life as a Norbertine of Daylesford Abbey are impressive and world renowned, he enjoyed being surrounded by the beauties of the earth most associated with his Italian American heritage and humble upbringing.  Most notably, Andrew loved all things Italian: good wine, fine art and specialties to delight his Italian pallet.  He loved classical music, was an avid reader of historical, religious and architectural literature with a seemingly endless, unquenchable intellectual curiosity. And of course, he loved everything associated with the Fightin’ Irish of the University of Notre Dame.

During the last three years Father Andrew doctored for cancer. In this Jubilee Year of Hope Father Andrew was a model of Saint Paul’s word in Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in Hope, Endure in Affliction, Persevere in Prayer.” If in life, Andrew was a force to be reckoned with as a liturgist extraordinaire, as he faced death, he was the epitome of grace, serenity and surrender to his caretakers and especially to the will of the God he loved and praised his whole religious life. Inspired by Pope Francis’ own heroic suffering, Father Andrew died on August 21, 2025, knowing with Pope Francis that “Hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5).

Our brother, Rev. Michael J. Lee, O. Praem., a priest of Daylesford Abbey, died on February 11, 2021 at the age of 77. In addition to the members of his Norbertine Community he is survived by his sister Marie Kelly and brother John, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

Fr. Lee was born in Philadelphia on September 25, 1943. A member of St. Gabriel Parish, he attended Bishop Neumann High School, entered the Norbertine Order and was vested with the white habit on August 28, 1961. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 16, 1970.

Fr. Lee earned his M.A. degree in History from Loyola University in 1972 and an M.A. degree in Religious Studies from Villanova University in 1973. For many years he taught at Bishop Neumann High School and was appointed Principal in 1992 and President in 1993. In addition to his ministry as a teacher he served as parochial vicar of St. Gabriel Parish and became pastor in 2000 serving in that position until 2010. In 2010 he became pastor of St. Norbert Parish in Paoli and continued to minister and serve faithfully the parish community there as he had done in his previous assignments. Throughout his life he remained a faithful and loyal son of Ireland. For a number of years he marched in the annual St. Patrick Parade in Center City Philadelphia proud of his Irish heritage.